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February 2012 Entry: Dungeon Clue

A week ago I decided I was going to participate this month. I was hoping for something I'm somewhat familiar with, like a tactical map of some sort, so I was kind of taken aback by the challenge.

So I figured I'd give it a go and create my version of a board game that has, to some degree, a bit of a tactical aspect of it and I may actually be able to do it.

Anyway, since I'm not one to sit around and wait for someone else to take my idea, I started with the base map. So I present you the beginning of "Dungeon Clue", based on the Parker Brothers game "Clue" (or "Cluedo" for those of you on the other side of the pond).

### Latest WIP ###

Map is being designed entirely in Adobe Fireworks CS5, using clip art and textures from ProFantasy Campaign Cartographer 3.

Time permitting, I will try and put together a tutorial on this for my blog as well as this site.

Of course, I will make some changes. For example, I can't imagine many dungeons have a "Billiard Room" so I'll put something more appropriate there. I still have not decided on the full set of rooms. In the meantime, you're more than welcome to make your own suggestions...

I spent most of yesterday working on this. I'm quite obsessive when I get something in my head.

### Latest WIP ###

All the doors and room sizes are in the exact positions they appear in the original board game. I decided not to have the perspective walls that the board has - which gives the original game a sense of depth - because that is not keeping in line with the traditional style of D&D tactical maps.

Still haven't officially decided what the other unmarked rooms are going to be. I thought of making one a torture chamber but I don't have adequate clip art for that. The Northwest one will probably be a crypt or tomb.

I've been debating whether to leave the lighting glows in it or not, but after screwing with it for a while I think they came out fairly well.

Don't look it up until you are finished with your map and rules, but there actually was a D&D Clue game. I am pretty sure I own a copy of it, but it must be buried in a tub somewhere. When you finish up yours, then take a look and see how similar or not they are.

------Assuming I stick with fantasy cartography, I'd like to become a World Builder, laying out not only a realistic topography, but also the geopolitical boundaries and at least rough descriptions of the countries and societies.

If you have time, you'll maybe want to add pieces: six suspects, six weapons, the die.

I don't know to what extent I can do that... I'm not an artist in that I can draw things from scratch; short of visual effects within Fireworks itself, everything else you see there is clip art modified with the most basic of tools. I can't draw a decent circle freehand at gunpoint.

I also don't want to take it to the point of getting sued by Parker Brothers.

But I am considering providing D&D-like rules, such as a mini-encounter for each room.

-=O=-

Anyway, here's another WIP:
### Latest WIP ###

Modifications:
- Added stone border to make it look more dungeon-like.
- Renamed "Mess Hall" to "Tavern" to avoid two "... Hall" areas.
- Renamed "Courtyard" to "Garden" so I can add "Graveyard" and not have two "...yard" areas.
- Added "Graveyard" and "Laboratory"
- Added secret passages at corners of map.

Still haven't decided what to do with that last room; I'll think about it tomorrow.

OK, I'm going to post this as the tentative final version... That is, it can be voted on unless I change something between now and the end of the month. I'm putting the full version up because I might forget, might get busy or might not come up with anything better than making "Portal Room" the last chamber.

### Latest WIP ###

The wasn't much else I could think of with the clip art resources I have; I thought about making it a bedroom, but since I want to remain close to the "1 square = 5'x5'", the bed would take up a small part of the room and I'd be left with a fairly vacant area.

I might still consider adding some more decor to the portal room, such as a brazier or something.

On a semi-related note, I am actively writing a 4E adventure based on this map. You see, there's this lich that can only be killed with one particular weapon, and one member fo the party is destined to beat him in the only room where he is vulnerable. I will include custom monsters, traps, etc... In somewhat of a Lair Assault format but without a time limit. I just couldn't resist doing it!